Emily Lara won the Physical Sciences Dean's Undergraduate Award for Excellence for her achievements at UCSD. This annual award recognizes seniors who have demonstrated excellence in both academics and research. Great job!

The McHugh Lab earned a Green Labs Certification - Silver Level. Thanks to everyone in the lab for being considerate of our impact on the environment and working to conserve energy and resources!

We welcome Moises Espinoza and Megan Bacabac to the lab as part of the Summer Training Academy for Research Success (STARS) program. Megan is a student at San Diego State University and Moises is a student at Cuyamaca Community College. Their summer projects involve learning to clone and express non-coding RNAs in bacteria and human cells. Happy to have them in the lab!

Aileen Button was selected for the NIH Molecular Biophysics Training Grant T32 GM008326. This grant will allow Aileen to continue her work on studying the detailed molecular interactions of Xist long non-coding RNA and epigenetic silencing factors. She will also have the opportunity to present her research and connect with other trainees through regular meetings, educational workshops on research integrity, and a monthly journal club. We appreciate the support of this grant and wish a big congratulations to Aileen!

Congratulations to Ellen Lavorando, who has won the Dean's Award for Excellence. This prize recognizes students who have excelled in both academics and research. Great work, Ellen!